Friday, February 5, 2016

Got Overdue Books? CPL Amnesty Is On

It's Amnesty Time! Break out of Library Jail and get back into the Chicago Public Library's good graces.

Until February 18th, any borrowed materials that are overdue (books, DVDs, CDs, whatever) will be accepted without past-due fines. No questions asked. If you've lost the item, you will be responsible only for the replacement cost.

Last time CPL had amnesty, back in 2012:

101,301 overdue items, valued at approximately $2 million, were returned

CPL waived $641,820 worth of fines

Over 40,000 patrons renewed their Library cards

Overdue materials ranged from items only a few weeks overdue to one book that had been due in 1934

Almost every item returned was able to be put back out into circulation within a few days, so that other patrons could check them out.